PANAJI
With only a week to go for the biggest festive celebration in Goa, the Ganesh Chaturthi Utsav, the markets are already witnessing a rush for the shopping of clay idols of Lord Ganesh, various decorative items, makhars, paper, cardboard and plywood art, lamps and illumination lights, clothes and other items. Since there is a ban on thermocol use, most of the makhars are designed with paper and plastic, and very few from eco-friendly materials.
This year the prices of the local clay Ganesh idols are slightly up by Rs 100-200. The Plaster of Paris idols are banned in the State, but some shops were still seen displaying them. The demand for handmade clay idols of Lord Ganesh is on the rise and though the local artisans in Goa mould enough idols, the rising demand has compelled the Chitrashalas in Goa to import idols from Satara, Solapur and Kolhapur in Maharashtra. These are lighter in weight, and many opt for them to install at homes. A total of 30-40% of the requirement from Goa is fulfilled by these lightweight idols, while the traditional families bring clay idols made in local Chitrashalas. Their prices are also slightly lower than local clay idols, and a two-foot idol is sold for Rs 1,500-2,000. The local clay idols are available for Rs 500-5,000 depending on the size.
Shadu clay idols are also brought into the State from the neighbouring Konkan region of Sawantwadi, Kudal, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Pen and Mahad. The shadu mati idols are lighter in weight than the Chikatmati (a type of sticky soil from the Goan fields). Each chitrashala houses 500 to 1,000 idols, and the booking starts from Ashadi Ekadashi, continuing through the Shravan month.
Many Goan artisan families have nurtured the art of handmade clay idols, and scattered mostly in Ponda, Marcel, Usgao, Bicholim, Mapusa, Keri, Sattari, Mandrem, Valpoi, as well as Margao, Sanguem, Cuncolim, Chandor, Quepem and Canacona, these artisans dedicate their time, beginning the work two-and-a-half to three months before Chaturthi.
The clay has to be purchased and stored during summer. Dug from specific fields, it has to be prepared and moulded several times to make it soft. The work is tedious and sometimes requires labour from other States, like Karnataka or Maharashtra. Their payment has to be included in the price of the idol, claimed an artisan from Bicholim, a village having around 100 chitrashalas, and most of these have been running for three to four generations. However, Mayem has the highest number of chitrashalas in Goa.
“As per the ritual, the Ganesh idol is booked but not taken home before the Pran Pratishtha ritual, which is a day prior. So even though the idols are sold, they still adorn the shelves of our Chitrashalas where they are crafted,” said an artisan from Pajifond Margao, whose family has been making clay Ganesh idols for over 40 years. The government offers subsidies to the local artisans but compared to the prices of the raw material, these subsidies are meagre, claimed this artisan, adding that they are delayed.
The Ganesh idols come in various sizes and shapes – some in a sitting position, while a few are standing. Ganesh, the son of Lord Shiva and Parvati, is sitting with them, or with Nandi, Shiva’s vehicle. Some idols are placed on a lotus flower, some in a dancing form, others sitting on Sheshnag, and one thing is common in all – t e sitting mice, eating Modak.
The Makhars come in various sizes too – from one to four feet in height, and some have arrangements for illumination too. The prices vary, beginning from Rs 800-1,000 to Rs 10,000 on the higher end. The paper flowers and their strings are also available beginning from Rs 100-1,000 depending on the length. Matoli, the vegetable and fruit decoration that hangs before the Ganesh idol, will be available in the market two days prior to Chaturthi. Mapusa, Ponda, Banastari and Panaji are known to be the most popular markets for purchasing Matoli, which has all the seasonal fruits and vegetables, forest fruits, wild flowers and medicinal leaves. The sweets and firecracker sellers are expecting good sales, though there is a ban on bursting polluting or noise-making crackers.
